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J. A. HOWELL. MARINE TURPBDU.

110.458,67?. Patented Sept. 1,1891.

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Patented Sept. 1,1891.

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J. A. HOWELL.

MARINE TURPBDO.

110,458,677. Patented Sept. 1 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JHN ADAMS HOWELL, 0F TlIE UNITED STATES NAVY.

MARINE' TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,677, datedSeptember 1, 1891. Application tiled February 23, 1889. Serial No.300,796. `(No model.)

To a/ZZ whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Anims HOWELL, of the United States Navy,haveinvented certain newand useful Improvements in Marine "1orpedoes, ofwhich the following'is a specification. v

My invention has relation to an automobile o`r self-propelling marinetorpedo of the same general type as that setforthin myLetters Patent,No. 311,325, of January 27, 1885, the n10- tive power being furnishedby'one or more fly-wheels which, previous to the launching of thetorpedo, are put in rapid revolution, and the torpedo being providedwith diving and steering rudders, by which it is autom'aticallymaintained in a straight course and at a predetermined depth in thewater.

My present improvement has more particular reference to a torpedo of thekind in which the axis of the ily-wheel liesin the longitudiv nal axisof the torpedo; and they consist in certain arrangement or constructionof the propelling and diving mechanism by whiehI am enabled toneutralize the tendency of the torpedo to roll about its longitudinalaxis by reason of the friction of the ily-wheel axles and shafts intheir bearings and by reason of the rolling leverage which would, in theabsence of my improvement, be created in gearing down from the fly-wheelshaft to the propeller shaft or shafts.

The nature of my improvements andthe manner in which the same are or maybe carried into effect can best be explained and understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a horizontal andFig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of so much of the rear portionof the torpedo as needed to illustrate my invention. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of the main ilywheel andshaft and its gear to the propellershaft. Fig. 4 is a front elevation ofthe gearing connecting the ily-wheel shaft to the pro palier-shaft, andFigs. 5 and G are enlarged views of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1. and2.

The ily-wheel F (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and Si) is mounted on an axlewhich lies in the longitudinal axis ofthe torpedo. This axle is supportedin suitable roller-bearings u, o, fixed in place in theframe-work which supports the central section of the torpedo. Thefriction of the fly-wheel axle and shaft in' their bearings tends torevolve the torpedo itself on its longitudinal axis in the sainedirection as the direction of the revolution of the ilywheel. flhistendency is eounteracted by means of two vertical rudders A A',Fig.E2,whieh, from the method and effect ot' their action, are calledhelicoidal rudders. NVhen acted upon by their mechanism, they swing inopposite directions, and thus act only as aserew to roll the torpedo.They are operated as follows: The rudder-posts B B, Fig. 2, passverticallythrough the shell of the torpedo, being pivoted at their outerends to small fins a: m, and at their inner ones to supports secured tothe bulk-head ll. To their inner ends are secured arms N N, Fig. 1,which are connected by links L L to arms I l, Figs. 1, 5, and o', whichin turn are secured to the tiller-axle (l C. The tiller l`, which isprotected by the box Figs. 1 and is operated by pallets which arebrought to engage in the cams Il' il' by the action of thependuluinllLFigs, 2 and 6, which is connected to thetiller-arm by a flexible axisY. The tiller-arm is pivoted at its center or horizontal axis on theprolongation of the fiexible axis Y,protected by the box 1j, and at eachend is formed or provided with a pallet to engage the cams ll ll. Thecams 1I 1l are iixed to a wheel or disk M,whieh is in rigid connectionwith the eogwheel M', which is geared to the worin W on one of thescrewshafts. r1`he ilexible arm Y of the tiller and its cover y passthrough a Slot y'" in the shaft U, and is assisted in maintaining itsnormal position by the ends of the springs Q. When the torpedo is 1noving through the water, the cog-wheel M', and consequently the cams 1lIl', is kept in constant revolution by the screw-shafts, the pallets ofthe tiller-arm being so adjusted that when the torpedo is exactlyupright they will both be free from the cams. If the torpedo rolls, thependulum will maintain the plane of the pallets horizontal, so that theinclina tion given to the canrwhecl by the roll of the torpedo willthrow one oi. the cams into nction with one of the pallets. 'lhe tilleris thus swung and with it the rudders, which, by their conneetionsyarothrown in opposite directions, and thus tend to roll the torpedo back toils upright position. The axis of the IOO fly-wheel, being in thelongitudinal axis of the torpedo, may be prolonged togear to and operatetwin propolier-shafts, and these shafts may be concentric` so that theirscrews will lie one behind thc other.

In `rearing the ily-wheel siraft to the pro` pellcr-sliafts, if theconnectinggear he hung directly to the body of 'the torpedo, it wouldforni a fuleruni and lever for the reaction of the ,lriving force. thuscausing the torpedo to revolve about its longitudinal axis andnecessitating thereby very large helicoidal rudders to keep the torpedoupright. In order to overcome this effect, the lgwhcel shaft S S, Figli,which islockcd to the y-wheel axle, terminates at n, being prolonged by,but not connected directly to, the shalt R. A gearwheol Z, Figs. 3 and4, is secured to the end of S, while a necklace or disk. )C X is Securedto the end of R and carries the four gearwheels D D l) D, Fig. 1, which`near between Z and a spur-wheel easing (l O O, which is secured to theouter of the two concentric screw-propeller shafts, the shaft R beingthe inner one. Thus the gearing down of the ywheel axle to thescrew-propeller shaft is the same as if an axle were revolving in a.bushing Whose outer cylinder was permitted to revolve. There istherefore no ifulcrum for the action of the screws to revolve thetorpedo. The outer shaft li' passes through a stutngbox in the torpedobulli-hond ll' ll and carries in itself a stalling-borg, through whichthe inner shaft R passes. Each shaft of course carries its own propelleror screw. The latter are omitted from the drawings, inasmuch as they arenot needed for the purpose of ex planation.

Having described my invention, what l di",- sire to secure by LettersPatent is- 1. The combination, with the torpedo shell or case and thefly-wheel having its axis in the longitudinal axis of the torpedo, ofthe helicoidal rudders and actuating mechanism therefor driven from thefly-Wheel and adaptd ed to operate the helicoidal rudders at the timesand in the manner substantially as hcreinbefore sot forth.

2. The combination of the torpedo case or shelhthe fly-wheel having itsaxis on the longitudinal axis of the torpedo, the fly-Wheel shaft andgear-wheel thereon, the shaft R, the necklace or disk secured thereonand the gear-wheels carried by said disk, the outer concentric shaft R',and the spur-wheel casi ing 0, these parts being arranged together forjoint operation, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sei my hand this 29th day ofNovember, 1888.

JOHN ADAMS HOWELL. Witnesses:

WM. SWANsBoRo, JOSEPH WATERS.

